Fast-growing wealth manager and Financial Planner AFH Group has appointed ex-Tavistock group operations director Jon Dear as its new chief operating officer.

Mr Dear will work on AFH’s growing protection and mortgage business.

He started his new role this week at the Bromsgrove-based company, which has acquired 16 Financial Planning and IFA firms.

While he is a new appointment, Mr Dear’s connection with AFH started a decade ago.

He joined West Bromwich Building Society in 2004 as head of financial services and in 2007 he championed setting up the society’s advice arm, Insync Financial Planning which was bought by AFH in 2009.

In a 35 year career has also worked at Allied Dunbar, Zurich, Aegon and Bankhall. Most recently he was group operations director at wealth manager Tavistock Investments, where he helped integrate several newly-acquired offices into Tavistock.

In his new role he will work alongside AFH’s Eunisure team to expand AFH’s presence in the mortgage and protection market.

He said he was looking forward to working with the team “to strengthen the synergies between them and the wider group.” 

AFH chief executive Alan Hudson, a Chartered Financial Planner, said: “We moved into the protection market because we saw a significant opportunity both to meet unserved needs and to develop our adviser community. Jon’s appointment is a significant step on the road to AFH becoming a major player in the mortgage and protection market.”